NCL Escape - any info on running track / gym?

[Ajseifert]

We are cruising the Escape the first week of April and I am looking for any info anyone has regarding the running track. I assume there is one, but where is it? How is it? Best time of day to use it?

 

And anyone know the age you must be to use the gym?

 

I am traveling with my 16 year old, who is a track runner and he needs to run every day on the ship. Just looking for some information to help him out.

 

Thanks!

[blackwing]

I haven't been on Escape yet, but on Getaway the track was on the upper level overlooking the pool. If your son is a serious runner I think he would be best using it early in the morning. During the day the track cuts right through some very high traffic areas, people are walking around and might not even realise they are on the track. I saw a few runners on my Getaway cruise that seemed to get seriously annoyed when somebody walked into their path. You would think they would assume that people aren't just going to get out of their way when they hear footsteps. It's a crowded ship.

 

Your son might be better off using the treadmill if it's during the day. I can't recall if there were age restrictions, but I doubt the staff would give a high school student a hard time if they're just running on a treadmill.

[Ajseifert]

Thank you for the info. He is a pretty serious runner and not running while on vacation is not an option. :)

 

When we were on RCL Brilliance of the Seas, the track was similarly on the deck above the pool He found that going right before dinner was a good time...everyone was headed inside to dinner or to get cleaned up for dinner. I am concerned as no "set" dinner times, it could mean busier on the decks in the late afternoon.

[blackwing]

I misspoke a little, the track isn't above the main pool, but it does surround the kids pool and aqua park.

 

See this link for the deck plans and select Deck 17:

https://www.ncl.com/cruise-ship/escape/deck-plans

 

See that part that is near the video arcade and Margaritaville? It is very narrow and there are sure to be tons of people just standing there or walking slowly.

 

I'm not sure about pre-dinner, on a ship this large with Freestyle, you never know when people are going to eat. Hope things work out for him!

[Ajseifert]

You're a huge help! I was looking for it on the deck plans and totally missed it. Thanks so much for the link!! :)

[Biz64]

get to the running track early, especially on sea days! There are so many people and loungers on deck that I saw many runners having a hard time navigating their way around people. Technically, there are specific times for the running track listed on the daily activity guide but I don't remember the specifics.

[Ajseifert]

get to the running track early, especially on sea days! There are so many people and loungers on deck that I saw many runners having a hard time navigating their way around people. Technically, there are specific times for the running track listed on the daily activity guide but I don't remember the specifics.

 

Great! I will look for that on the guide. I've never seen that on a ship before so I wouldn't of paid any attention to it. Thanks!

[dolita22]

Sailed the Escape twice and my DH has used the track on each sailing. He is a marathon runner and averaged running about 11 miles each morning of our January cruise.

 

The best time to use it is early - I'm talking, like, 5 a.m. Lounge chairs go around it after 8 a.m. and they list the track as closed in the Freestyle Dailies...though there are still people running in it that time. It's just more difficult because there are more people up there throughout the day.

 

8 laps around equals a mile, IIRC.

 

It's a nice track, and equivalent distance around as the track at our gym. DH said the biggest drawback is that it goes right past the upper deck pool bar, which is also the bar for smokers. And yes, there are people out there at 5 a.m. Not trying to start a smoking thread, but something to be aware of.

 

I'm also a runner (not a marathoner) and used the gym treadmills. They're new and nice, but it does get hot in the gym and there are no fans - at least none that I saw. Never had a problem getting a treadmill, even at 10 a.m. on sea days. I can't recall the age you have to be to use the gym. Someone may have a more recent Daily that could tell you.

 

Hope that helps! Have fun!

[calgaryhhr]

In my opinion the running track on the Escape is pretty much useless. It is located in a fairly high traffic area and it is quite narrow. Also, from what I remember, the flooring is wood and the track goes past a couple of areas that are access points for the slides and as such the flooring could be wet and slippery.

 

I've seen much better running tracks on other ships that were actually a track-like material and were dedicated running tracks.

 

If he has to run it would be better to use a treadmill in the gym.

[dolita22]

Also, from what I remember, the flooring is wood and the track goes past a couple of areas that are access points for the slides and as such the flooring could be wet and slippery.

 

Just texted my DH to ask if the track was wood or more of the rubbery surface. He said the flooring for the track on the Escape is the rubbery surface, not wood.

 

Yes, it may get slippery when wet, but it's not wood. Just clarifying for the OP.

[calgaryhhr]

Just texted my DH to ask if the track was wood or more of the rubbery surface. He said the flooring for the track on the Escape is the rubbery surface, not wood.

 

Yes, it may get slippery when wet, but it's not wood. Just clarifying for the OP.

 

Yeah, you guys are correct. I looked up some pictures and it is not wood. I was trying to think back to our cruise in December and I remembered Margaritaville having wood floors and I thought that flooring extended across that deck and the track goes past Margaritaville.

 

Here is a video of the running track deck:

[YOUTUBE]c7wmqVKJSF8[/YOUTUBE]

Edited March 2, 2016 by calgaryhhr

[LrgPizza]

The running track closes at either 8 or 9 AM, but that will be listed in the Freestyle Daily. My husband is a serious runner, and he usually goes up around 5 or 5:30AM to beat the traffic. It gets crowded by 6:30 or 7, and by 8, there are so many people just walking past to and from the pool, etc., that it's impossible to keep up any kind of pace.

Edited March 3, 2016 by LrgPizza

[Son of a son of a ...]

Running on a tread mill arms free is a challenge in any kind of seas. MHO from experience.

[EleventyBangBang]

How busy is the gym, particularly the weights area? Will I have to fight people for a pair of dumbbells or is it a ghost town?

[thatjoeguy]

How busy is the gym, particularly the weights area? Will I have to fight people for a pair of dumbbells or is it a ghost town?

 

It's always been somewhere in the middle whenever I've gone. I've never seen all of the machines (or benches) full at the same time, but I've also never seen everything empty at once either. I feel it's usually a quarter to half full, so I occasionally had to wait for a machine, but never long.

 

For the aerobic machines, the "good" ones (in front of the windows) tend to fill up first, and I think there's been a time or two when all of the (for example) treadmills were full, but there were still bikes or ellipticals empty.

[OneParticularHarbour 71]

When we were on the Getaway last year my 14yo had to run everyday as well but he wasn't getting up super early so the running track was always too crowded to run later on. He ended up running outside on deck 7 - it was the deck below the Waterfront and runs just about the length of the ship and there was rarely anyone else out there. Looking at the Escape deck plans, it looks similar to Getaway so that may be an option to him as well.

[MeHeartCruising]

On the Getaway in January, there was a young man who was an avid runner. I saw him running every day somewhere -- on shore at port stops and on the ship. On the ship, he usually ran on the Waterfront on Deck 8 during the day. It was not crowded there at all. The Waterfront does not complete a full loop of the ship but it probably covers a little more than 1/2 that distance by the time you go from end-to-end.

Edited March 11, 2016 by MeHeartCruising

[Macadian]

In my opinion the running track on the Escape is pretty much useless. It is located in a fairly high traffic area and it is quite narrow. Also, from what I remember, the flooring is wood and the track goes past a couple of areas that are access points for the slides and as such the flooring could be wet and slippery.

 

I've seen much better running tracks on other ships that were actually a track-like material and were dedicated running tracks.

 

If he has to run it would be better to use a treadmill in the gym.

 

Would agree 100%. Unless you use it very early morning or late evening it is all but useless due to it becoming a bit of a zoo on sea days particularity. As has been pointed out the surface in places gets pretty wet.

[Laszlo]

If your a person who works out daily like my wife and I the Gym and the Track are a joke. The track is almost useless. Loungers were out at 8am. I like to ride, the gym if you want to call it that had 3 bikes, thats it. The Sun and the Gem had 5 bikes last time we were on them

[Mickeyhead]

I ended up using the track twice while on board. I did 13 miles on Sunday morning and 6 on Friday morning. Both days I was out by 5:30 am and had no problem running but as the time inched closer to 7 it became a little harder to run due to the amount of people on the track. Sometimes it was hard to pass others who are walking two across.

It is an odd placement to have the track pass right by a smoking section which always seemed to be busy even it 5:30 am. The track was a little wet from the morning wash down but I never slipped once and once the sun rises it dries it up nicely.

Now to talk about the size/laps. The track is labeled as 8 laps /mile and 5 laps/Km. My wife and I both independently came to the conclusion that per mile laps is probably closer to 9. After the first couple of miles we were both astonished on how fast our miles were and knew right away that 8 was not right. I compensated by adding one lap per mile while my wife decided to walk the Waterfront lap on deck 8 which we measured, before the ship left port, to be .25 miles per lap.

When we were back in Miami I meant to measure the track myself but forgot to.

The track is not perfect but it fulfilled its purpose.

[Ajseifert]

Thank you all for your wonderful advice and thoughts! My son wasn't thrilled at the idea of having to get up at 5am to run (teenagers!) but knows that he will have to in order to get in a decent run. Your posts have been incredibly helpful! And we will certainly check out that lower deck!